it's no secret that jim has a long-lasting hate for selmer. so before you decide to scratch out selmer as a possibility, think about these few things: - yes, selmer is expensive - yes, almost every modern Selmer sax, series 2, 3, reference 54 (especially the reference 54) is modeled after the mark VI but... - selmer still makes good saxophones, and you might love the sound. Yamaha is easily the best value for professional saxophones because its several hundred dollars cheaper at least compared to other stuff. I liked the 875-EX for alto out of 62, 62 II (different neck than 62), 82Z.